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EPILOGUE
“We’re leaving for Comforttoday,” Desarae announced between sips of her tea. “We want to be there by the full moon.”
Evelyn looked up from her plate of eggs and fried potatoes. “How soon?”
“As soon as we get packed and loaded,” Des replied.
Desarae didn’t say, but I felt her mixed feelings about leaving so soon. Her excitement at having the twins—our daughters—home and safe and celebrating our first Christmas with them kind of eclipsed her grief. I knew the grief was still there, hiding in the background. It would most likely make an appearance after we settled into a normal mated life. For now, I welcomed her happiness and was ready to catch her when she needed me.
We’d decided to keep the whole “Christmas Day” thing a surprise for the—ourdaughters. When I told Des about the invite, I’d left out a few things Gunner had said, like how the second Simone found out there was a hell of a good chance Des and I would get custody of the twins, she’d gone on an all-out shopping spree. I knew when my mom and dad found out, they’d probably do the same. So, the invite was more of an off-handed command to make sure we came back ASAP to avoid disappointing Gunner’ssakanaor my parents.
Einar laid down his fork and wiped a napkin across his mouth. “I’d like to come along, if that’s—”
Neri and Arteisma cut him off with their own contributions of,yes, yes, yesandplease, please, pleasebefore either Des or I got a word in.
“You betcha, Einar,” I said, giving him a nod. “We hoped you’d be comin’ along. We just hadn’t gotten around to extending the invite yet.”
Albert sat back in his chair and smoothed a rough hand down his long white beard. His light blue eyes locked on mine. “You gonna mate my daughter while you’re there?”
I sat up in my chair and answered. “Yes, sir. I made your daughter a promise and I intend to keep it.”
He nodded. His heavy beard hid his smile, but his eyes softened and twinkled a bit. That green apple and warm spice scent of his took on the sweet smell of cotton candy. He approved.
I stayed and helped clean up after breakfast while Des and her mom got everything ready for our trip. Albert had passed Deck’s clothing around to Tan, Les, Denny, and Brindle. They’d been the first to volunteer to come along while I’d tracked down that crazy bitch who had stolen my daughters. They all knew I didn’t need help tracking her scent. They had been there for moral support. That, and just in case Viveca had found some other wolves to back her up. And, though I didn’t know it at the time, they’d come along to make sure I didn’t do something I’d regret later because, yeah, the twins might not be my blood, and even though it wasn’t official, in my heart, Neri and Arteisma were alreadymy daughters.
For the last half an hour, I felt something building in mysakana—something was worrying her, but she had yet to say anything. I wasn’t about to wait until we were halfway to Comfort for her to bring up thatsomething. Nope. If having another hard conversation was in order, that’s what we’d do.
Our daughters seemed excited to head out on another adventure, helping Des—theirmom—and grandma pack what little they had. They hugged Evelyn and Albert goodbye, and while Einar helped them up into the backseat of Desarae’s monster truck, I pulled mysakanato the side and wrapped her in my arms. She looked up at me, and damn—every time I looked into her turquoise eyes, at her gorgeous face, at her as a whole person—a crazy, overwhelming, mind-boggling rush of love filled my veins and I almost wept.
From the second I’d caught her luscious green apple-patchouli scent, my emotions had gone from totally laid-back and chill to freaking high-strung and uptight.
With things settling down, I was feeling like my old self again—but better, not floundering out in the world on my own. I felt like I was now the best me I’d ever been, and it was all because I’d fallen in love with Desarae Draydon.
I took a deep breath and got serious.
“Got something on your mind, darlin’?”
Her eyes left mine as she shoved her chilly hands inside my warm jacket. “What will your parents think when you show up with a family in tow?”
I grinned. “See those males over there in the Jeep?” She glanced at the Jeep where Len, Tan, Brindle and Denny had been waiting, then she nodded. “They all think I’m one lucky sonofabitch. Once my parents hear I found my one, mysakana, my mate for life, and adopted the two most beautiful little females ever, they’ll be...they’ll be...” I shook my head, trying to find the right words.
Des made one of those cute faces she makes. “Deliriously happy?”
“Yeah.” I chuckled. “I was trying to find a nicer way to say,over-the-fucking-moonand have it still convey the same sentiment. So, yeah, deliriously happy pretty much covers it.”
She giggled, but that worry was still there. “What are they going to say?”
“They’re gonna offer up congratulations and then throw us a big-ass barbeque.”
That seemed to calm her fears enough for me to get in a quick kiss that didn’t last near long enough, because, yeah, I could kiss her for days and still feel shorted. So, I leaned in and kissed her a second time, but lingered, tasting her lips with my tongue until she pulled back.
One eyebrow lifted as she gave me a sexy smile. “We’d better get on our way before I remember I forgot something of vital importance back in my yurt and I need your help to find it.”
“You’re right.” I grinned and whispered, “Just so you know, I could totally go for helping you find that something.”
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